…Yet while its attack and brightness went unappreciated by the likes of Wes Montgomery, those same qualities were perfect for the emerging sound of surf. Listen to the Ventures’ 1960 version of Johnny Smith’s ‘‘Walk Don’t Run,’’ and the Jazzmaster’s unintended effect is immediately apparent. The guitar growls with a rumbling bass, punctuated with floating licks that seem to rise from under water with a jangly treble twang. ‘‘It’s quite a different sound,’’ says the Ventures guitarist Don Wilson. ‘‘It’s my all-time favorite guitar.’’

The amazing Ignatius Pulnasio, official guitarist of Vatican City during the Renaissance; because of several missed notes during a concert before the Pope he was subsequently condemned to dress as a clown while playing.